Well, it's in the kitchen too then, I guess. (The article just says they tested "outside the bathroom" not everywhere. Not that I've ever been impressed with Mythbusters scientific rigour but that's another conversation...)

Well, it's in the kitchen too then, I guess. (The article just says they tested "outside the bathroom" not everywhere. Not that I've ever been impressed with Mythbusters scientific rigour but that's another conversation...)

Well, aside from Mythbusters, we could extrapolate from other tests that have found fecal matter outside bathrooms, as well as all manner of germy things.

I'm really unperturbed by this, actually. What crockoduck said sums it up for me.

I'm unpreturbed (unpreturded? there's a pun there somewhere but it stinks) too but I'm not so sure it has no ill effects. I would seriously doubt it has no positive effects either since we evolved to live in it - probably a lot more of it than we do now.

The sense of smell works by pieces of whatever your smelling getting into your nose. When you sit on the toilet and smell your business, you're inhaling far more fecal matter than what's getting on your toothbrush.

The sense of smell works by pieces of whatever your smelling getting into your nose. When you sit on the toilet and smell your business, you're inhaling far more fecal matter than what's getting on your toothbrush.

Some have expressed the concern that on extremely long space fights (measured in generations), the small population and extremely small bacteriome might lead to a failure of the digestive bacteria leading to serous health problems.

Some have expressed the concern that on extremely long space fights (measured in generations), the small population and extremely small bacteriome might lead to a failure of the digestive bacteria leading to serous health problems.

Interesting, but I would imagine moving cultures of bacteria would be trivial compared to the problem of moving people. Which isn't to say it's an insignificant problem, just that, as a known (or anticipated problem) the solution ought to be simple enough, all things considered.

Interesting, but I would imagine moving cultures of bacteria would be trivial compared to the problem of moving people. Which isn't to say it's an insignificant problem, just that, as a known (or anticipated problem) the solution ought to be simple enough, all things considered.

The issue is the lack of spontaneous developing diversity. You can take a butt-load (giggle) of bacteria with you but that isn't what is needed. What is needed is a large enough population of people and bacteria for the needed bacteria to evolve naturally in response to the characteristics of diet and life. It is unlikely that suitable bacteria exist on Earth now since they would not be needed and have not been selected for the peculiarities of multi-generational space travel in a very limited biome.